and there's that

What a difference a week, or probably a little longer in reality, makes.

According to the man himself the entire gentleman's deal went down in a van on a country road, which hopefully isn't as untoward as it sounds when you write it down.  The deal gets voted in or out in September but the deal for Loblaw to purchase Shopper's Drug Mart gives them not only an entirely new-ish market segment but also unprecedented urban locations.

So while the webesphere goes on about how 'expensive' these retailers are - not understanding that there is a fairly large group who are not willing to take transit out into the wilds of the 'burbs, walk across a massive parking lot to save 29 cents on a can of tuna - 'we' are wondering how exactly this will look.  However I admit that on those Friday nights when I don't want to cook and I'm standing in the freezer aisle of my local SDM I'm a little stoked that there might be some Blue Menu options.

or in that direction

Not that I fancy Galen Weston actually reads my blog.  But just a few days after my last post, Loblaws company announces their new format for small urban stores, 'The Box by No Frills'.  Essentially a small, 10,000 sq. ft. version of No Frills - your average No Frills is 25,000 sq. ft.  The tests run in Calgary to see how the market responds.  To be a tad elitist, what plays in Calgary may not translate here, but I'm just one voice.